Charges have been filed against 30-year-old Savion Cartrell Brinson, who was shot by Houston police officers early Sunday morning (Jan. 12) at 7500 Richmond Avenue. Brinson has been charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon in Harris County Criminal Court #11.
The incident involved Houston Police Department (HPD) Senior Police Officer E. Bettinger and Officer C. Santana, both of the Midwest Patrol Division. Officer Bettinger has served since 2011, and Officer Santana since 2017. Neither officer was injured.
According to HPD Special Investigations Unit Detectives C. Walker and H. Le, officers were dispatched to a crash with a disturbance at the intersection of Richmond Avenue and Hillcroft Avenue around 3 a.m. En route, they were informed that one of the individuals involved was armed with a handgun.
Upon arriving, the officers observed a group of people gathered in a gas station parking lot and on the roadway. A man, later identified as Brinson, was seen walking from a crashed vehicle holding a firearm. The officers issued multiple verbal commands for Brinson to drop the weapon. When he refused, fearing for the safety of nearby individuals, the officers discharged their weapons, striking him multiple times.
Brinson was treated at the scene by officers before being transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office has charged Brinson for his involvement in the incident. As standard procedure, the officer-involved shooting is under investigation by the HPD Special Investigations Unit, the Internal Affairs Division, and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
Anyone with additional information regarding the crash or the incident is encouraged to contact the HPD Special Investigations Unit at 713-308-3600.
